Tuesday, December 12, 2006

I Saved Latin

It's official, I have one semester of college left. Two hours ago I walked out of my final exam of my seventh semester of college. Wow. If I lived on campus and had "lasting" relationships with more people at La Salle I would probably feel more nostalgic and perhaps a bit sad. But instead I'm kind of freaked out. Freaked out because this time next year I'll (hopefully) have a "real" job. Not just answering phones or serving families at their dinner tables, but wearing a tie and taking things seriously. Man, I hate this growing up stuff.

I've been listening to a lot of bands lately from the "glory days" of my generation of hardcore. Bands like American Nightmare, The Hope Conspiracy and Reach the Sky. Thinking about times when the Suicide File, There Were Wires and What Feeds the Fire would open up for Bane at the Met and northern colleges like UNH. I miss those times. It amazes me when I think about how much AN influenced modern day hardcore. They, quite literally, changed it. This happened in regards both to asthetic and lyrical content. Before them, New England (and nationwide, for that matter) hardcore kids dressed like they were going to see Ten Yard Fight and In My Eyes. Baggy-ish pants and everything. Then when AN came around, clothes got tighter and hair everywhere was dyed black. The lyrics weren't all about "the edge" and bad friends, they were about directed frustration. They attacked things that mattered. The 'scene' was less violent and more...dark. I remember waiting outside the Met in Providence for one the of best shows I have ever been to...Converge, American Nightmare, The Hope Conspiracy, Thursday and Planes Mistaken for Stars. Everyone outside wore black hoodies with the hoods up. Everyone was super nice and would eat Spike's hot dogs and wings before the show. The atmosphere was unbelievable.Now it seems that the only thing that has remained is the look. Black hoods and tight jeans (I'm not criticizing that, I'm wearing the same thing at this moment.) But it's all intimidation. It used to be about intimidation against those we hated...the 9-5's and the emo-singer who stole your girl. Now everyone's against each other.I don't know what the point of this is really. I just remember having terrible weeks at school and home and exploding when Bane or AN hit the stage. Screaming along to the Hope Con's "Truth and Purpose." Nothing else mattered. Now I don't wanna go to shows because I don't want to pay not to dive and go off. The Suicide File needs to get back together. The Hope Con needs to come around. Modern Life Is War, the closest thing we have to AN (we wouldn't have MLIW without AN,) needs to come around more often. And most of all, December 30 needs to roll around sooner. Bane in Worcester. Outbreak. And someother band I love (you know who.) But unfortunately because it's 2006 we'll have to deal witht the bullshit...the metal bands that have no place in a hardcore show and that gang of fuckers that needs to chill out.